Attachment for shoe-soles.



F. A. HUTCHINSON.

ATTAC-HMENI FOR SHOE SOLES. APPUCATION FILED FEB. 8, 1915. RENEWED APR. 13.1916.

LQUVJTH. Patented Dec. 5, I916.

mwayu'gnmwi il L l a tach-4a FRANK A. HUTCHINSON, 9F GRAYSLAEE, ILLIINUIS.

ATTACHMENT F03. SI-IOE-SOLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed February 8, 1915, Serial No. 6,824. Renewed April 13, 1916. Serial No. 90,975.

tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shoes, boots and the like and an object of the invention is to provide a simple. readily applied and nonslipping attachment which is held to the shoe partly by its own shape.

With these and other objects the invention resides in the combination and arrangements of parts described and hereinafter claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the invention in perspective, Fig. 2 shows the bottom of a shoe with the invention applied thereto, Fig. 3 is a vertical sec tion taken transversely of the sole of the shoe showing the invention, and, Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section showing the structure of the attachment.

The general aim of the invention is to provide a readily attachable plate having a non-slipping surface and provided with an inwardly extending marginal flange adapted to overlie the edge of the outsole.

In order to prevent slipping of the attachment after the same is in place, tacks or nails may be employed to secure the rear part of the attachment to the shank of the shoe, although the front end of the attachment is held to the shoe by said flange.

A more particular description will be given in connection with the drawings, wherein the shoe is designated generally at 10, and has the heel, 11, sole, 12, and upper, 13, stitched or pegged as at 14, as is common in boot and shoe construction. The present invention does not aim to alter the boot or shoe in any way. The shoe is made to represent any form of footwear where the sole extends to form an outsole as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The present invention, illustrated in Fig. 1, comprises a plate, 15, of metal having the rear portion, 16, comparatively flat and provided with holes, 17, to receive nails as hereinafter described. The sides and front end of the plate, 15, have upturned edges as at 18 which terminate in inwardly extending flanges, 19. These extend around a large part of the periphery of the plate, but do not extend across the rear portion 16.

/Vhen the attachment is to be secured to the shoe, it is slipped onto the front of the sole of the shoe so that the flange, 19, rests on the top of the outsole around its edge and the plate 15, covers the bottom of the sole. After the attachment has been pushed on the shoe as far as it will go, nails, tacks, or other devices, 20, may be driven through the holes, 17, into the shank or sole of the shoe to hold the attachment in place on the shoe. It will be noticed that no tacks are necessary for holding the front end of the attachment as this function is performed by flange, 19.

In order to avoid a polished surface on the attachment of plate 15, which might make the shoe slippery, I propose to make the attachment from a material which will not take a polish. However, as it is desirable that the attachment shall have sufficient strength to prevent the sole of the shoe from bending too much, I make the plate, 15, from a sheet of iron, seen at 21, in Fig. 4, and coat the sheet iron with a complete covering of lead, seen at 22. The lead coating or plating may be applied to the sheet iron either before or after the edge and flange have been stamped. It is to be understood that the flange 19, does not touch the upper, 18, although where the attachment is coated with a soft metal, such as lead, very little wearing of the upper would result if it should touch the attachment. For the purpose of preventing slipping it is suflicient to have the bottom of the attachment coated with lead or some similar metal which will not take a polish, but I prefer to apply this coating as a plating extending over both faces and around all edges of the attachment. The sheet iron is thus thoroughly protected from rust, and the upper face of the plate 15 and the inner side of the edges 18 and flanges 19 are rendered a little soft so that they are capable of adapting themselves to inequalities in the sole and outsole to which they are applied. For instance, if the sole be considerably worn the stitches or pegs 14 may protrude a little at their lower ends, and the platin': on the upper face of the sheet 15 will yied. to permit them to enter it slightly. I speak of lead as the material preferably employed for the coating or plating, because in use when the sole" bends and the sheet iron springs to correspond, the lead will also bend without cracking.

The attachment may be made in various sizes and in difierent styles so as to be adapted to shoes of ordinary construction.

The method of securing the attachment to the shoe is so simple that the attachment can be applied by almost anyone and requires no skill. It is apparent that when a shoe sole become worn, the attachment described herein may be fitted to the shoe and thus avoid the necessity of resoling the shoe.

Copies of this patent may .be obtained for FRANK A. HUTCHINSON.

Witnesses WV. H. WAKEFIELD, E. KAsIsoHKE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

